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STATE HOUSE, BOSTON — Almost three weeks later than they had hoped, lawmakers on Monday struck an accord on marijuana policy that would tax retail pot sales at a maximum rate of 20 percent and paves the way for those sales to begin in just under a year...

On Tuesday, the Joint Committee on Public Health discussed Bill S.754, which is designed to safeguard the health care decisions of young adults. The bill is aimed at lowering the age of consent for a Massachusetts resident to have an abortion from 18 to 16, and that girls 15 or under can do so with the consent of only one parent or legal guardian, whereas current legislation requires both parents.

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON — Sen. Will Brownsberger shrugged Monday when asked if marijuana legislation negotiators are working off a new deadline. Asked if he expected a deal to be reached this week, he said, "Saying anything like that is dangerous...

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON — Negotiations over a new state budget and legislation overhauling the retail marijuana legalization law might appear on paper to have little to do with one another. But multiple sources close to the deliberations told the News Service on Wednesday that the fates of the two bills have become inextricably linked, with some officials now believing that a compromise on the budget

The Massachusetts Senate passed legislation today that will prohibit the use of handheld mobile devices while driving, unless they are in hands-free mode. The so-called "Distracted Driving bill" was spearheaded by Senator Mark Montigny of New Bedford, a longtime advocate of the prohibition of mobile phones and devices being used while driving...

If people need to take safety courses before driving a motor vehicle, then one State Representative thinks boaters should have to do the same. State Representative Robert Koczera of New Bedford is pushing for legislation that would require all motorboat operators in Massachusetts to undergo a safety course and be certified to operate the watercraft...

Advocates for greater diversity in the legal cannabis industry are speaking out against a proposal to revamp the state's voter-approved recreational marijuana law. In a statement Tuesday, the group Equitable Opportunities NOW! said it was "profoundly troubled'' by the House version of the bill, which is scheduled for debate on Wednesday...

The chairman of New Bedford's committee designed to help the city implement the sale of recreational marijuana thinks the proposed bill to raise the taxes on pot sales from 12 percent to 28 percent should go up in smoke. "This just kind of spits in the face of democracy," New Bedford City Councillor Ian Abreu, chair of the council's Committee on Licensing and Zoning of Cannabis, said of

BOSTON — Eleven-year-old Bryan Rosa of Allston stepped into a pitched debate over immigration enforcement Friday, telling a lawmakers he fears for the future of his 3-year-old sister if they do not pass a bill limiting coordination between the federal and local authorities...

A bill that would prohibit all use of hand-held cellphones by motorists in Massachusetts has moved forward on Beacon Hill. The measure has been endorsed by the Legislature's transportation committee and was given preliminary approval in the House on Wednesday without debate...